Tectonics of Reuse: a Material Exploration of Deconstruction and Reconstruction in Architecture

Authors

• Scott Lafferty, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Zachary T. Porter

Date of this Version

Spring 5-12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Comments

A design thesis Presented to the Faculty of The College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Architecture, Major: Architecture, Under the Supervision of Professor Zachary Tate Porter. Lincoln, Nebraska: May 2023

Copyright © 2023 Scott Lafferty

Abstract

This thesis explores the tectonics and poetics of reusing deconstructed building components. To challenge the current unitized method of deconstruction, a series of machines were designed to extract large-scale building chunks. These chunks were then reassembled using a range of details and connections that celebrate material textures and cultural memories of each architectural fragment. By developing methods and strategies for material reuse, the thesis demonstrates the potential for design to address the environmental impacts of the building industry and the architectural representation of cultural memory through tectonics.

Advisor: Zachary Tate Porter